Journalist and podcaster Andrew Gold has been on “What the Hack with Adam Levin” before to discuss the relationship between magicians, conmen and scammers. He’s back this week to talk about something with much more weight.

After a trip to Germany where he was investigating the way potential sex crimes against children are seen by government agencies, Gold had very mixed feelings. We examine the ethics of the findings of that investigative reporting, with a focus on the government’s use of catfishing to coax potential sex offenders into seeking treatment. 

This is a difficult topic but an important look at how data privacy, crime prevention and the protection of minors give rise to an ethics dilemma. 

This week’s Tin Foil Swan will help you disable location tracking on your phone. 

“What the Hack with Adam Levin” is available wherever you get your podcasts. If you like it, consider rating us on your favorite podcast service or writing a review. It really helps people find the show.

Read the episode transcript.

Adam Levin is the former Director of Consumer Affairs for the State of New Jersey, serial entrepreneur and author of Swiped, which he wrote with his sidekick, writer and cyber mensch, Beau Friedlander. With expert commentary from Travis “Here’s What Actually Happened” Taylor, the show gets everything sorted out—or not—but either way you’re going to have a great time. Something weird happen to you? We’ve got your back.

What the Hack with Adam Levin is a production of Loud Tree Media and is produced by Andrew Steven.